Many types of computer programs and World Wide Web (“Web”) sites utilize Web service technologies. Web service technologies allow client programs to access functionality provided by compatible Web services. The functionality exposed by the Web services can be accessed remotely through a data communications network, such as the Internet.
The Web service technologies utilized to implement Web services and compatible client programs are frequently upgraded. Consequently, it may become necessary for a software developer to maintain a Web service and one or more compatible client programs for several different versions of a Web service technology. Alternately, the developer might upgrade the Web service and the client programs to the newer version of the Web service technology. However, each of these alternatives can be costly and time consuming for the developer.
Newer Web service technologies typically provide a mechanism for handling Web service requests constructed according to an older version of the Web service technology. In some implementations, the Web service converts Web service requests compatible with an older version of a Web service technology for compatibility with a newer version of the Web service technology prior to processing the requests. Conversion of Web service requests in this manner, however, can impose significant undesirable processing overhead.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.